When the former fencing champion Laura Flessel resigned as sports minister earlier this week her departure was initially put down simply to “personal reasons”. Later it emerged that she and her husband face a possible investigation over tax fraud in relation to a company they own. The government, however, has refused to say when it first became aware of possible issues over the minister's tax affairs. Antton Rouget investigates.

Among her own entourage there was a mixture of disappointment and incomprehension when, out of the blue, the former fencing champion Laura Flessel resigned as France's sports minister on Tuesday September 4th. The departure of the minister, generally seen as one of the most popular in the government of President Emmanuel Macron and prime minister Édouard Philippe, surprised most onlookers, coming so soon after the dramatic resignation of high-profile environment minister Nicolas Hulot.